Breaking Free - First Road Ride!

[indysteel]

Great job, Catrin! I hope you're proud of yourself!

You ride went better than mine. My DH and I met two friends in Columbus. I, of course, forget my shoes and don't realize it until we were there. They were great about it, so we drove back to Franklin while they did a warm up.

I was in charge of the route. It's a route CIBA has hosted in the past that we've ridden on or own a few times. I got the cue sheet off of CIBA's website, but didn't look to closely at it. It wasn't until we were a few miles in that we realized it was a different route. With a lot more hills. Well, I wasn't feeling all that great, as I'd been battling a bit of a stomach bug. Needless to say, a couple hills nearly did me in. I got off and walked one particularly long, steep section.

We finally got to the little market along the way and had some lunch. I bought some Pepto, too. We started up again, and I think all of us felt a revived. About four miles after the stop, a dog charged us from a yard with no warning. The guys were pretty bunched and the third in the line hit somebody's wheel. He went down hard.

The stupid homeowner just stood there without saying a word. My friend finally stopped writhing on the ground enough to determine that nothing was broken. Still, we thought it wise to get a ploce report.

We sat there forever waiting for the sheriff. In the meantime, the homeowner finally came out to apologize. Gee, thanks. My DH and I rode back to the car to retrieve the other two. My friend has a torn shoulder and some bruised ribs.

So, the moral of my story is that loose dogs are a real downside to riding in rural areas. I am always on the lookout for them. The minute you see ANY movement from a dog, use your loudest, sternest voice to yell "back" or "no." That usually stops them in their tracks. If you have any doubt that a dog isn't going to back off, stop and use your bike as a shield. Spray your water bottle at them. If your're with a group, be sure you yell "dog" and give the direction, i.e., "dog, right.". I usually put a little distance beteen me and my companions at that point in case one of us has to do something erratic to avoid the dog. Thankfully, my DH typically tries to shield me.

I will say that there are for fewer (hardly any) loose dogs on the northwest side of town. Down south, they are much more common.

[Catrin]

Oh My Goodness, you did have an interesting day - I hope your friend recovers quickly and that the homeowner will finally keep the dog under control.

My friend who suggested my base route yesterday made sure I avoided another part of his route on which he is always chased by 1-3 dogs. Apparently they are quite predictable but I don't feel up to outrunning dogs yet. Thanks for your tips on dealing with dogs - my trainer tells me that splashing them with his water bottle always works - but at this point I can't get my hand off of the bars to do that...another reason to learn!

[ColoKate]

Woot! Sounds like a nice ride.